Casey, Nicholas. “In Peru’s Deserts, Melting Glaciers are a Godsend (Until They’re Gone).” The New York Times. 26 November 2017. Web.
This article discusses the role of climate change and how it has been helping several villages, which is a unique side of the argument that not many people know about. Many people worldwide are aware of the melting glaciers that contribute to global warming. Just recently, leaders from all over the world met in Bonn, Germany to try to stop the globe’s warming and set a goal to limit carbon dioxide emissions. Everyone perceives climate change as disastrous; however, in Viru, Peru, climate change brings water, good crops, and electricity to the desert’s villages. High up in the mountains, there is an icecap that is melting away. This water makes its way to the desert and allows the people there to sustain life. According to Nicholas Casey, 100,000 acres of land has been irrigated and cultivated simply because of the glacial melting in the Andes. The temperature increase has also increased the number of crop cycles in a year, leading to more harvests.
The major problem with this development plan is the extreme reliance on the melting of the glacier. Once the icecap melts, leaving them without water, the people of Peru will not know how to sustain their civilizations. The Cordillera Blanca mountain range, which is a part of the Andes, “has shrunk by 40 percent since 1970 and is retreating at an ever-faster rate,” according to scientists. In addition, the lower lake and river levels will also interfere with the development projects, such as canals and water towers, that were completed throughout history in order to supply people with water and other essentials.
Recently, as more of the icecap is disappearing, the citizens of Viru, Peru have been noticing a great deal of problems. Inside of the glacier, there are a variety of heavy metals such as lead and cadmium. Due to the melting, these metals are now making their way out of the glacier. These metals make the water undrinkable and have enough power to kill livestock. Another factor is the increased temperature, which allow many more harmful pests and organisms to live in the air and destroy many crops.
When there is little or no rainfall during Peru’s dry season, Peruvians rely on a river called the Santa River, whose flow has been slowly declining. According to Lauren Morello, “Runoff from that ice feeds the Rio Santa, providing most of the river’s flow during the annual summer dry season — water that is used for drinking, irrigating fields and generating power along a broad swath of Peru’s Pacific coast.” Knowing that the Santa River’s flow is declining, many people in Peru are looking for alternative ways to get water in the future. Many people are starting to refurbish their old wells in order to ensure water for their families. It will hopefully be a temporary solution until a better idea is proposed.
Casey, Nicholas. “In Peru’s Deserts, Melting Glaciers are a Godsend (Until They’re Gone).” The New York Times. 26 November 2017. Web. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/26/world/americas/peru-climate-change.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fclimate&action=click&contentCollection=climate®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront
Morello, Lauren. “For Peru’s Rio Santa, has “Peak Water” Already Passed?” Scientific American. 21 December 2011. Web. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/peru-rio-santa-has-peak-water-past/
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